Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

New Play at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Boat Show at the Javits, Winter Show at the Park Avenue Armory, The Chinese New Year Celebrations Continue, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival Ending, 1st Irish Festival in LIC & Artists Open Call in the Bronx

January 27, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 40's on Friday and around 50 the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low 30's on Friday, rising to about 40 the rest of the weekend. The humidity will be between 50% - 60% on Friday and Saturday, rising to 60% - 70% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. No precipitation is expected this weekend.

In the photo at right is the NYC skyline in Midtown, looking west from Queens. We've gone 324 days without measureable snow, the second longest period on record. The longest was 332 days set in 2000. Based on the most recent forecast, we're going to break that record and may go the entire winter without measureable snow. This is not good news. We all need to do whatever we can to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. And, however small it may seem, if you multiply it by seven billion [people on the planet], it won't seem so small.

NYC Things To Do This Weekend

There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend

On Saturday, January 28 from 1 - 4.30 pm and from 6 - 9.30 pm there's a Wine Tasting at Chelsea Industrial at 535-549 West 28th Street in Manhattan. For $19 tickets and details see - https://winefestnewyork.com. 

The Winter Boat Show began at the Javits Center at 35th Street and 11th Avenue on Wednesday and runs through Sunday, January 29th. Tickets are $20 / $17 / $15. For details see - https://www.nyboatshow.com/.

On Saturday & Sunday, January 28 & 29 from 10 am t0 5 pm there's a Year of the Rabbit Lunar New Year Fair at the East Broadway Mall at 88 East Broadway in Chinatown. The market is comprised of about a dozen vendors selling food, embroidery, jewelry, clothes, Taiwanese objects, art and stationery. For details see - https://welcometochinatown.com.

The Joyce Theatre American Dance Platform began Tuesday, January 10th and the Winter Jazz Festival began on Thursday, January 12th. It's all part of the January Arts Festival - https://www.janartsnyc.org/ which runs through most of this month of January 2023.

The Winter Show [formerly Winter Antiques Show] has returned to the Park Avenue Amory on the Upper East Side and the show runs through Sunday. For details see https://www.thewintershow.org/.

On February 12 beginning at 1 pm the Chinese Lunar New Year parade begins in Chinatown. The parade steps off at the corner of Mott and Hester Street marching down to Chatham Square, then heads across East Broadway and up Forsyth Street, ending in Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Like the Queens Lunar New Year parade, this actually occurs outside of the official Chinese Lunar New Year dates.

Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend

On Saturday, January 28 from 2 to 5 pm there's a Lunar New Year Celebration organized by the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership at Albee Square where DeKalb, Bond and Fulton Streets meet. It will have lion dancing among other performances. For details see - https://www.downtownbrooklyn.com.

On Saturday, January 28th from 11 am to 2 pm, the CPC [Chinese-American Planning Council] will co-host a Lunar New Year Event in Sunset Park Recreation Center at 4200 7th Avenue in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. The event activities include a traditional lion dance, performances, giveaways, interactive games, raffles and contests. For details see - https://www.cpc-nyc.org/events/cpc-bcs-lunar-new-year-celebration-2023-year-rabbit

NEXT WEEK. The CPC celebration [see above entry] continues on Saturday, February 4, with Lunar New Year calligraphy, arts and crafts and trivia for prizes in the Auditorium at New Utrecht High School at 1601 80th Street, in collaboration with community partners from throughout South Brooklyn. For details see https://www.prospectpark.org/

Queens Things To Do This Weekend

On Friday and Saturday, at 7 pm and 2 pm respectively, a new original play entitled Lemons, will be performed at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City. The play is described as, "... Exploring how social media, capitalism, and “positive thinking” affects our individual and collective relationship to grief, Lemons is a darkly funny four-person play centering on an obsession with a fitness guru's instagram account. A grieving woman presents a personal essay that quickly devolves into theatrical mayhem as her carefully constructed argument is interrupted and undermined by ghosts, fantasies, dance, and doom scrolling. Lemons is an examination of female strength, both physical and emotional, in the face of capitalist patriarchy. Exploring the intersection of capitalism and wellness culture/self-care, which is overwhelmingly marketed to women, Lemons looks at how societal expectations have come to inform our relationship to grief, our identities, our bodies, and each other...". For $15 tickets and details see - https://www.lpac.nyc/upcoming-events/lemons

The Chinese Lunar New Year in celebration of the year of the rabbit began Sunday, January 22, 2022 and runs through February 9th, 2023. Flushing Queens jumped the gun vis a vis the official lunar new year dates, by hosting its parade last Saturday, which was a day before the official start of the lunar new year.

On Sunday, January 29th from 3 to 4 pm Sunnyside Shines is hosting a Lion Dance and march from Lowery Plaza at 40th Street underneath the #7 train, along Queens Blvd to Bliss Plaza at 46th Street at Queens Plaza. Free.

Flushing Town Hall opened a photo exhibit, entitled This is Home, on January 21 and it runs through February 26th. The exhibit shows excerpts from some of the lives of Asian Americans living in NYC, both here and abroad. For details see https://www.flushingtownhall.org/.

On Tuesday, January 31 there's a reading of 'Brigid' as part of the Origin 1st Irish Festival, from 7 to 9 pm at the NY Irish Center at 1040 Jackson Avenue at 51st Avenue in Long Island City. For $2 tickets and details see - https://www.newyorkirishcenter.org

NEXT WEEKEND. On Sunday, February 5th beginning at 3 pm in the Colden Auditorium at Queens College at 153-49 Reeves Avenue there will be a performance by Nai Ni Chen Dance Company. See the full description below, as they will be performing at Hostos College in the Bronx this week.

IN TWO WEEKS. On Thursday, February 16 from 6.30 - 8.30 pm Materials For The Arts at 3300 Northern Blvd in Long Island City will be hosting a Lunar New Year mask making event using recycled materials. They are doing this in tandem with the Asian American Arts Alliance. For details see - https://www.liclny.com/events/mfta-and-asian-american-arts-alliance-celebrate-lunar-new-year.

Bronx Things To Do This Weekend

The Bartow Pell Mansion has issued an Open Call to artists to participate in a nearly month-long exhibition in March of this year. The theme of the exhibit is Nature Inspires: Contemporary Art Show. The deadline for submissions is February 3rd, 2023. For details see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Call-to-Artists-Nature-Inspires.pdf

On Sunday, January 29th, beginning at 3 pm there's a Nai Ni Chen Dance Company performances at Hostos College at 450 Grand Concourse in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx. The event is described as follows, "... In honor of Hip-Hop’s 50th year anniversary, the dance company will be performing a special rendition of the lion dance with a hip-hop rhythm. Other performances include YungGe from northern China, Peacock Dance from the southern Yunnan province, Spear Dance, and the crowd-favorite Dragon Dance...". Tickets are $12 / $10 / $5 at https://www.hostos.cuny.edu/

On Tuesday, January 31 beginning at 7.30 pm there's a musical performance entitled, Songs to the Unknown, which is a part of the Voices of the New 2023 Winter Festival at Roulette Intermedium at 509 Atlantic Avenue at 3rd Avenue in Boerum Hill in Brooklyn. For $20 tickets and details see www.voicesofascension.org/votn.

Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend

On Sunday, January 29, beginning at 6 pm there's a showing on the big screen of the classic Marilyn Monroe / Tony Curtis / Jack Lemmon movie - Some Like it Hot - at the St. George Theatre at 35 Hyatt Street on Staten Island. For $20 tickets and details see - https://stgeorgetheatre.com

There's an ongoing exhibit of a collection of stamps that features lighthouses prominently on them at the Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island.

On Monday, January 30 from 8.30 - 4 pm the Alice Austen House Museum will be particpating into a program entitled Grow Into Yourself at the High School of Fashion Industries at 225 West 24th Street in Manhattan. Apparently Alice Austen was a lesbian photographer living on Staten Island.

Have a nice weekend.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Winter Show at the Park Avenue Armory, The Chinese New Year of the Rabbit Begins, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival continue

January 20, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's throughout the weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the mid 30's on Friday and Saturday, rising to about 40 degrees on Sunday. Winds will be about 5 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will be about 50% - 60% on Friday and Saturday, rising to about 85% Sunday afternoon as the rain pours in. No rain is in the forecast until Sunday, when a 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of rain is expected starting around 3 pm.

The photo at right shows folks walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, even amidst the dreary weather.

NYC Things To Do This Weekend

There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend

On Sunday from 11 am - 3.30 pm there's a Chinese Lunar New Year Firecracker celebration in Sara Roosevelt Park at Chrystie and Forsyth on the Lower East Side in East Chinatown.

Also on Sunday, but from 11 am - 1 pm nearby on Mott Street at Grand Street [if not there head south toward Canal Street], there's an artsy lantern reveal exhibition on the street by Think Chinatown. For details see https://www.thinkchinatown.org/

The Joyce Theatre American Dance Platform began Tuesday, January 10th and the Winter Jazz Festival began on Thursday, January 12th. It's all part of the January Arts Festival - https://www.janartsnyc.org/ which runs through most of this month of January 2023.

At right is a photo of a man at Tompkins Square Park communing with the pigeons. See another photo below showing just how popular he is with the pigeon population in the East Village.

The Winter Show [formerly Winter Antiques Show] has returned to the Park Avenue Amory on the Upper East Side and the show runs through next weekend. Details coming - or see https://www.thewintershow.org/.

Queens Things To Do This Weekend

The Chinese Lunar New Year in celebration of the year of the rabbit begins Sunday, January 22, 2022 and runs through February 9th, 2023. There will be celebrations throughout NYC and we'll update you beginning this weekend and beyond. Details coming.

Flushing Town Hall has an exhibit. Details coming.

Long Island City is hosting some Lunar New Year events. Details coming.

Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend

NEXT WEEK. On Saturday, January 28th from 11 am to 2 pm, the CPC [Chinese-American Planning Council] will co-host a Lunar New Year Event in Sunset Park Recreation Center at 4200 7th Avenue in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. The event activities include a traditional lion dance, performances, giveaways, interactive games, raffles and contests. For details see - https://www.cpc-nyc.org/events/cpc-bcs-lunar-new-year-celebration-2023-year-rabbit

TWO WEEKS FROM NOW. The CPC celebration [see above entry] continues on Saturday, February 4, with Lunar New Year calligraphy, arts and crafts and trivia for prizes in the Auditorium at New Utrecht High School at 1601 80th Street, in collaboration with community partners from throughout South Brooklyn. For details see https://www.prospectpark.org/

Bronx Things To Do This Weekend

On Saturday January 21, 2023 from 10 am - 1 pm there's a family friend workshop where you can create a fan for lunar new year at Wave Hill at 4900 Independence Avenue in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx. It's Free w/ admission to the grounds. For details see www.wavehill.org or https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/wave-hill/events/2023/01/21/family-art-project-fan-for-lunar-new-year1

The photo at right was taken at the East 96th subway station. I occasionally think back to what our predecessors left behind for us in terms of a robust infrastructure that has by and large held up through the changes for about a century. And then I ask myself, what are we going to leave behind for future generations?

NEXT WEEK. There's a Nai Ni Chen Dance Company performances at Hostos College at 450 Grand Concourse in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx on Sunday, January 29th, beginning at 3 pm. Tickets are $12 / $10 / $5 at https://www.hostos.cuny.edu/

Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend

On Sunday, January 22, Snug Harbor is hosting a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration from 12 noon - 3 pm. Details coming.

On Sunday, January 22, beginning at 2 pm / 3 pm there's an exhibit opening and lecture about a collection of stamps that features lighthouses prominently on them at the Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island.

Have a nice weekend.

Economic Outlook 2023

Employment Steady, Inflation Subsiding, Consumer Confidence Up, Government Stimulus Fading, Fed Tightening 'Should' Stop After .25% Increase at Next FOMC Meeting, Most Global Supply Side Issues have been Corrected, Oil Prices Below a Year Ago, and the Dollar is Strong

January 17, 2023 / NYC Business News / New Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's and the temperature lows will be around 40, dropping to 35 degrees on Friday. No rain is expected EXCEPT on Thursday, where up to an inch of rain will fall during the day. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Tuesday and Thursday and will be 10 - 15 mph on Wednesday and Friday. Humidity will rise from 45% to 80% on Tuesday, fall back into the 60% range on Wednesday, rise into the 80% range on Thursday with the rain, and fall back into the 60% range on Friday.

I. Economic Background - Mostly CoVid Disruptions of Global Supply Chains and Government Fiscal Policy Responses

In recent months I have spent a fair amount of time catching up on what's happening in the economy overall, in an attempt to guage what lies ahead. It's important to realize where we are in the business cycle, in order to figure out what to expect going forward.

* Since March of 2020, we've been in a bit of a pandemic spin. The 2020 pandemic essentially halted most hospitality businesses and softened demand for some services, but drove high demand for both durable and non-durable goods. This is on the demand side. Meanwhile on the supply side, businesses were closing down, or working at far less than capacity, because of the health impact of the pandemic. For example in China, they didn't just appear to shutter businesses, but almost entire cities, to curb the spread of CoVid. China is where much of our electronics are made so this impacted the availability / supply of electronics at a time when Americans were spending more on them, because they weren't traveling, vacationing or even eating out much, so they had extra cash to spend on items, most notably electronics.

The U.S. federal government [as did many governments throughout the world] kept many businesses afloat through expansive monetary policy and generous fiscal spending via CoVid Relief packages which put money in the hands of local businesses, governments and individuals. The fiscal stimulus / excess government spending began in 2020 during the Trump Administration, and ended in early 2021 under the Biden Administration.

The first chart above right shows the federal government excess fiscal spending during the pandemic. Both Trump and Biden temporarily increased government spending in order to keep the economy rolling through the pandemic.

And the expansive monetary policy, which was executed by taking the federal funds interest rate to nearly zero in March of 2020, and by pushing $4 trillion cash into the economy via purchases of bonds, wasn't reined in for years, and that withdrawal finally began in 2022. We'll discuss this more further down in this report.

The chart at right first shows how the Federal Reserve immediately dropped the federal funds rate to zero in the Spring of 2020, to keep liquidity in the economy as the pandemic hit. And then it shows how the Federal Reserve very, very aggressively jacked up interest rates to offset inflation beginning in 2022, because they were slow to react to the rise in prices in 2021. Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell, was nominated first by President Trump and renominated by President Biden.

The chart below right, shows how in the Spring of 2020, the Federal Reserve pushed $4 trillion in liquidity into the economy, doubling its liabilities. In 2022, the Federal Reserve began pulling some of that liquidity out of the market / off the table.

* In 2021 things began to normalize as vaccinations rolled out and we began to gain a better understanding of how to mitigate the health impact of the CoVid pandemic. But the year wasn't a straight line out of the pandemic, as the new variants continued to wreak havoc with our collective assessment of how risky it would be to return to normal.

Toward the end of 2021, Russian-like media Oligarch Rupert Murdoch, used his Goebbels-like propaganda outlets, including the NY Post, Fox News and the Wall St. Journal to hype American's uneasiness with supply chains in the economy, which Murdoch propagandist's labeled as Biden's economy.

* In February 2022 economic risks rise, as fascist dictator Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in what he called a 'Special Military Operation'. The Russian War in Ukraine hasn't gone well for Putin. To maintain the war, he is crippling the long term prospects for the Russian economy, as the Russian people continue to act like peasants, allowing the brutal dictator and his elitest friends, to walk all over them, including sending them to their graves fighting for Putin's narcissistic place in history.

Putin's military intervention / disruption, of course added risk to the global economy. Especially in two key segments of the economy which includes food and energy. Russia supplies about 12% of the world's oil, and along with Ukraine accounts for about a third of the world's wheat and barley. Hence Putin's war added significant inflationary pressure to both energy and food.

As you can see in the chart at right, the price of oil spiked up following Russia's invasion of the Ukraine in the Winter of 2022. The price of oil has since come back down to a few bucks below where it was a year ago.

* In November and December of 2022, and continuing into January of 2023, dictator President Xi Jin Ping has been retreating from his draconian, control-freak style CoVid lockdown measures. The Chinese, in a rare break from their own peasantry past, started to rebel against the policies, and so Xi started to relent. The Chinese economic growth fell from 8% in 2021 [like us the growth was accentuated because of a depressed 2020 CoVid economy] to 3% in 2022. Thus, at the end of 2023, in contrast to 2022 [which wasn't anywhere near as bad as Murdoch's Fox, NY Post and WSJ hyped it], things are largely returning to normal - except for the Ukraine situation, which continues.

II. Economic Background - Government Responses Included Monetary Policies Layered on Top of Fiscal Policies

To summarize what I laid out above, there were swings in demand fueled by lifestyle changes caused by the pandemic, including generous fiscal spending by the U.S. government. And there were significant supply side swings in capacity, which were driven by worker availability arising from health concerns.

Globally, we've spent the past couple years working through these huge economic demand and supply displacements, due in part to the disruptions of the vaccination roll outs caused by misunderstandings / misinformation about vaccine efficacy, risks and the new CoVid variants. This economic uncertainty was exacerbated by Russian dictator President Putin's undeclared war on Ukraine, which further disrupted the supply of both food and energy - which are two key components of the economy.

So, along with the U.S. governmment's expansive fiscal policies, pursued via massive transfer payments to large and small businesses and individuals, the nation's central bank, the Federal Reserve, pursued an expansive monetary policy by, 1) dropping the Fed Funds rate to nearly zero [0% - .25%] in March of 2020, and 2) they pursued an incredibly expansionary monetary policy whereby they pushed liquidity [cash] into the U.S. financial system by buying a lot of bonds. In the latter move they pushed about $4 trillion into the economy in a very short period of time, doubling their position of prior years.

As you can see in the chart above, inflation picked up toward the end of 2021, peaked in June of 2022, and appears to be heading back down toward normal, which economists expect it will approach by the end of 2023 [3.3% inflation] and in 2024. The Fed benchmark inflation rate is 2.0 - 2.5%.

III. So, Today, Where We At?

What's next is a look at a multitude of economic statistics with some nominal interpretation of what I expect to happen, all things being equal [meaning no further major disruptions], in 2023.

Expansive Fiscal Policies Ending, but Lag Times & the Multiplier Effect

As you can see by the first graphs at the top of this report, the Biden Administration has already brought the federal budget back into alignment with its historical trend, after a couple of years of excessive spending that began during the last year of the Trump Administration and continued into the first year of the Biden Administration.

In economics there's a lag time between when something is done at the federal level in fiscal policy and its full effects work through the economy. It's called the multiplier effect and I oftentimes wonder if Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell missed the classes in school that focused on it. The lag time can range from about six months to two years. I am seeing anecdotal evidence that the spending is drying up in the NYC economy, as Mayor Adams recent budget cuts indicate.

Tale of Two Governments - NYS Governor Hochul has $19 Billion in Unspent CoVid Relief Funding, While NYC Mayor Adams is Making Cuts in NYC

Many businesses and households didn't spend all of the money they saved during the pandemic, so there's still some of that stimulus that will continue working its way through the economy in the coming year or two. For example, while NYC Mayor Adams is cutting expenses, NYS Governor Hochul has about $19 billion, or 44% of the emergency funding allocations left to spend. Perhaps Hochul and Adams ought to talk about NYC getting a bit of NYS help, given half of the state lives here.

So in the case of NYC and NYS you have two different viewpoints - one where money is scarce and the other where it isn't ... yet. I say yet, because the MTA is still operating below prepandemic levels and thus NYS will have to continue making up the short fall, and the NYC cuts to education may need to be offset by an increase in NYS spending on the same.

Demand Side of the Economy - Employment and Businesses & Households Wealth Effect

Businesses and Households balance sheets also improved, in part because of stimulus funds and in part because spending was held back on services, like travel and hospitality, during the pandemic. Spending came roaring back in 2021, as the pandemic began to fade, but in 2022 it has subsided considerably. Most recently, retail sales were down about 1% in December of 2022, so the economy is definitely cooling.

In the top row of the chart at right is Gross Domestic Product [GDP is the total production value of the economy] and Employment, respectively, for 2021, 2022 and estimates for 2023. GDP [top left] softened in the first and second quarters of 2022, but came back in the third quarter, before falling again in the fourth quarter [estimated]. GDP is expected to remain soft in the first part of 2023, before coming back at the end of 2023. Likewise with Employment [top right], which has been softening. The U.S. is expected to lose some jobs in the first couple / three quarters of the year as rising interest rates dampen consumption and business investment.

So far the strong job market, with rising compensation, and up until 2022, a rising stock and housing market, added to Americans' confidence and contributed to robust spending in 2021 [see chart at right].

But as interest rates have risen, job growth has slowed, and layoffs by a number of the nation's largest tech companies [10,000 layoffs expected by Microsoft alone] begin to take root in the Economic Psyche of the American consumer, demand and productivity are expected to fall as noted by the GDP chart above right [top row on the left].

Inflation vs Market Liquidity Risk

Another aspect of the slowing economy is the impact of the Fed policiies in 2022. They rose rates rapidly and they've been taking liquidity out of the market via bond sales - both of which should have begun in 2021. And now they are on the verge of causing a recession because it seems they are not taking into account the multiplier effect and the lag time with which it takes for economic policy to work itself through the nation's $25 trillion economy.

If I were Jerome Powell, I would increase the Fed Funds rate a .25% at the next FOMC [Federal Open Market Committee] meeting at the end of January and signal that I might be done. And the only reason I would raise if .25% is because the market expects that and I wouldn't want to spook them, not because the economy needs further braking.

The Fed was a contributor in part to the inflationary problem we have - although Vladimir Putin and the disruptions caused by the pandemic should be given credit too. And the Fed is on the verge of contributing to a recession, which it might have to correct for too. For my money Powell isn't a steady hand, but if he stops now, he might avoid overplaying his monetary hand like he did when the pandemic first hit.

One last word on interest rates and inflation. Inflation ticked up considerably in the first half of 2022, which is why the numbers should begin muting rather quickly in the first half of 2023 - because the prior year numbers are already inflated. See chart below right for a month by month account of inflation last year.

Supply Side - Oil Supplies Flowing, China Coming Back on Line, Russian Disruptions Contained & Federal Government Investments

China has rolled back its restrictive CoVid policies. This will increase the supply of semiconductors, which should reduce price pressures in categories such as vehicles and electronics, which account for about 3% of the 8% of inflation we experienced in 2022 [light and dark blues of the chart below right].

The Biden Administration passed a bipartisan Semiconductor bill which is expected to bring more high paying jobs in the semiconductor industry back to the U.S. It will also alleviate the shortage in the long term.

Energy costs, as already mentioned, are primarily related to the rise in oil prices last year, due in great part to Russia's war in the Ukraine as previously shown in the chart above. In the chart below, yellow denotes the contribution of energy costs to inflation, representing between 2% - 3% of the 8% inflation of 2022 in the graph below right.

The Biden Administration reached out to Venezuela, which has the world's largest oil reserves, to provide more oil, which is being done with the help of Chevron.

And food, also experienced inflation due not just to the war in the Ukraine, but also climate change weather disruptions of drought and damaging storms. In the chart below right that's denoted in green and represents about 1% of the inflation last year.

The food category may continue to experience inflationary pressures because of climate change. The Biden Administration passed the Infrastructure Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act, both of which contain provisions designed to address the growing threat of climate change. Here I have to take issue with at least one provision [more later as I think some of this bill was ill-conceived by policy makers], and that is the roll out of electric vehicle recharging stations.

Time to Rethink - Why Don't Battery Makers Make Swappable Batteries that Consumers Can Re-Load in Minutes at a Fuel Station Instead of Waiting 20 - 30 Minutes to Re-Charge a Car?

I don't get it. Some of the smartest people on the planet are engineering these new technologies, but for some reason don't seem to be able to see the forest through the trees. The government should mandate that all electic vehicles be required to operate on a standard electric battery signed off on by the industry. The battery should represent an eighth of a tank of gas or equivalent, so that a driver can 'refuel' each time one of those batteries has dropped its load. In this manner drivers don't have to wait to recharge their cars, and the U.S. government doesn't have to install all of this unnecessary infrastructure. Set up the recharging stations near the power plant for greater efficiencies.

Risks - Debt Ceiling Gambit by Kevin McCarthy & The Crazy Republicans

Disinfo

Climate Change

Russia / China

Conclusion - It Could be a Good Year if McCarthy, Putin & Powell are Held in Check

Government Spending

Monetary Policy

Currency

Inflation

Interest Rates / Fed / Housing / Automotive

Almost done. This will be completed later today.

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Friday the 13th, Martin Luther King Day Weekend, Skating

January 13, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the high 30's on Saturday and the mid 40's on Sunday and Monday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's all weekend. No precipitation is in the forecast. The humidity will be in the 60% range on Friday, the 50% range on Saturday, the 40% range on Sunday and Monday. The winds will be 12 - 17 mph on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, dropping to 5 - 10 mph on Monday.

The photo at right was taken a week ago at City Hall, where Mayor Adams opened himself up to a wide range of questions from the local press. This week the Mayor released the Preliminary Budget for NYC for 2024.

Friday the 13th - Origins of a Superstition

According to Wikipedia, the number 13 has been considered unlucky beginning with a Norse mythological story about how the 13th guest caused the death of a dinner host. They tell us that the connection between unlucky 13 and Friday didn't start until early in the 1800's, specifically citing an 1834 play called 'The Finesse of the Scribbles', wherein one of the characters says that he was born on Friday the 13th and that is the origin of all of his misfortunes. Greek and Spanish cultures cite Tuesday the 13th as the unlucky day. Friday the 13th occurs at least once every year and there is no proof that it is any different from any other day. So while I'd recommend caution on any day, I wouldn't hesitate to do just about anything you normally do on this day.

The photo at right was taken of the back of City Hall in lower Manhattan. The foliage and ground are pretty brown and green for this time of year.

Martin Luther King Day Weekend

Weekend events coming early / mid afternoon. Please check back again later today.

The Nurses Strike at Mt Sinai & Montefiore Hospitals

One Nurse Told me She Felt Like Nurses had gone from Heroes to Zeroes

January 5, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Healthcare / Gotham Buzz NYC.

On Monday I made the trip to the Mount Sinai Medical Center between 5th and Madison Avenues and between 99th and 101st Street on the Upper East Side. Mt Sinai is the hold out in completing negotiations or even resuming them with the New York State Nurses Association union or NYSNA.

By last Friday, January 6, 2023, New York Presbyterian Hospital, the Maimonides Medical Center and Richmond University Medical Center had reached tentative agreements with the NYSNA union that included improvements in safe staffing and wages.

By Saturday, January 7, 2023 the NYSNA tweeted that BronxCare Health System and Flushing Hospital Medical Center had "reached tentative agreements that will improve safe staffing levels and enforcement, increase wages by 7%, 6%, and 5%, and save their healthcare benefits."

By Monday, January 9, 2023 about 7,100 pf the 42,000 nurses in the NYSNA union were set to go on strike at Mt Sinai in Manhattan and Montefiore in the Bronx. When I arrived around noon time at Mount Sinai in Manhattan on Monday, the NYSNA had a strong showing by their members. And the vehicular traffic appeared to be highly supportive of them, which you will see in the video I shot when I post it later today. The strikers were stationed primarily on Madison Avenue at about 99th Street, and there was a speaker there, but I really couldn't hear what she had to say with all the surrounding commotion, you'll see that too.

So I found a few nurses talking things over a bit away from the crowd, and I spoke with them. They told me that the strike is primarily about two issues: 1) staffing levels and 2) compensation. I learned a couple of things I didn't hear reported in the corporate media, which I'll share. But please note that I've not yet had a chance to confirm these findings with either of the hospitals still on strike.

The first thing they told me is that the staffing levels vis a vis patient loads are and remain the primary cause of the strike. They said that in the last union negotiation the hospitals agreed to put in recommended grids for staffing levels per patient for the various hospital units, which was a good first step. The problem is that the new staffing grids were not made enforceable.

Thus, because the staffing grids per patient remain unenforceable, I was told that they are exceeded too often. The trouble with this, they told me [and remember these are not the official spokespeople for the union, but rather rank and file union members, and I haven't yet cross referenced these findings with either hospital - see below] is that when you exceed the recommended staffing levels for prolonged periods of time, the probability of staff mistakes rise [dispensing meds and providing treatments], and hence this isn't just unsafe for patients, but it also puts the licenses of the nurses in jeopardy, should they make a mistake.

The second thing they told me was that the corporate media tells New Yorkers that the striking nurses are holding out for higher percentage pay increases vis a vis the nurses at the other hospitals who have reached tentative deals. They thought this characterization was incomplete - if not unfair - as the nurses at Mt Sinai and Montefiore have lower pay scales than the nurses at the other NYC hospitals.

By Wednesday morning, January 11th, Montefiore had resumed negotiations with the NYNSA.

This is the first major strike by New York nurses in decades. One of the nurses said during the pandemic healthcare professionals were hailed at Heroes, while today - just a few short years later - they're treated like Zeroes. I will post the video later today and if should Montefiore or Mt Sinai Hospitals decide to provide me with comments, I will post them here later today.

Lastly, please note that none of the people I spoke with are featured in any video or photos of the strike.

New Years Resolutions 2023: The Road Ahead

A Few Axioms To Keep In Mind Throughout The New Year

January 1, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year.

If we stay the course with vaccinations, masks, social distancing and hand washing, we should be able to continue the transition from pandemic to endemic - assuming we're not already almost there - given that there are likely to be lingering long term CoVid effects and that we may never return to a pre-CoVid normal.

The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally to make 2023 a better year for you.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on New Years Resolutions 2023 - The Road Ahead.

New Years Eve Parties & Events in NYC 2022 / 2023

It Seems a Mostly Normalized Holiday as of this Writing, but Requiring a few Adjustments

December 6, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather Forecast for New Years Eve. It's still a bit early to obtain a reliable weather forecast for New Years Eve, which is a bit less than four weeks away.

But the typical weather since 1907 on New Years Eve in NYC at Times Square is about 34 degrees. Global warming is likely to alter that as a forecast. We'll post an updated weather forecast when we're less than two weeks out, and a more specific weather forecast is possible.

Here are links to some New Years Eve parties and events planned around the five boroughs. These pages are in the process of being updated and we expect to finish them in the coming week or two. But you can browse the restaurants and see what they did last year and if you're interested we've included contact information as well.

Bronx New Years Eve Parties and Events 2022 / 2023 NYC

Brooklyn New Years Eve Parties and Events 2022 / 2023 NYC

Manhattan New Years Eve Parties and Events 2022 / 2023 NYC

Queens New Years Eve Parties & Events 2022 / 2023 NYC

Staten Island New Years Eve Parties and Events 2022 / 2023 NYC

Enjoy.

Home for the Holidays - CoVid Update & the 'Tripledemic'

A Three Virus Healthcare Threat may be Good for TV Ratings & Headlines, but is it Real?

An NYC Tripledemic Update - Analysis of Reporting of RSV, Flu & CoVid in NYC

As We Return to En Vivo Socializing Over the Holidays - Things to be Aware of

December 19, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / CoVid in NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. There's going to be some semi-serious precipitation [at present 2 plus inches] beginning Thursday afternoon around 4 pm, continuing until Friday about 4 pm. The temperatures are expected to rise to well above freezing, so it's almost certain to be rain in the city. As for the rest of the week, no rain Monday through Wednesday, and none is expected Saturday and Sunday, as folks head home for the holidays.

The temperature highs will be around 40 from Monday through Wednesday, rising into the low 50's on Thursday and possibly hit 60 on Friday, before descending into the mid 20's for the Christmas weekend, so Santa and his reindeer won't overheat as they make their appointed rounds. The temperature lows will be around 30 Monday through Wednesday, rising to 50 on Thursday, before falling to into the high teens on Friday, where the low will remain for the rest of the weekend. Monday thru Wednesday winds will be around 5 - 10 mph, rising to 15 - 20 on Thursday and then 25 - 30 on Friday, before falling back to 15 - 20 mph on Saturday and then 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be 50% - 65% on Monday thru Wednesday, rising to 75% - 85% on Thursday, and then falling on Friday from 75% to 50% on Friday, before settling into the weekend at between 40% - 50% for a dry weekend.

I. The Tripledemic - RSV How Real & How Scary?

As you likely heard, we are in the midst of experiencing a 'tripledemic'. The triple refers to CoVid, flu and RSV. RSV is short for respiratory syncytial virus, which is a virus that causes symptoms like those associated with a cold, but which can cause serious negative health issues for infants and the elderly. As usual, the TV news teleprompter readers and their writers appear to report whatever they're told, without actually thinking about the information they're conveying. And since they're in the business of attracting viewers' and readers' attention, they seem to have a tendency to sensationalize almost everything they report, including the weather.

So, let's start with RSV [respiratory syncytial virus], which to date, appears to have peaked the week ending November 12, 2022 [see chart]. According to weekly reporting by NYC Health, an NYC government website, there were three RSV related infant deaths since the peak this season, and they all occurred on the same week. As of the NYC Health report on December 17, 2022, there were nearly 30,000 cases in NYC so far this fall. So three infant deaths is a 0.01% RSV death rate in NYC. Given the low death rate, one has to wonder whether there were other complicating factors also at play?

RSV prevention is certainly worth paying attention to in order to protect your loved ones - especially infants, the elderly and immuno compromised. But that said, it rarely appears to be fatal, as you can see by the statistics noted above. RSV cases have been on the decline since the November 12th peak, but as in reporting on all health issues, things can change without notice. So stay tuned, knowing that what we're dealing with generally isn't lethal.

II. Resurgence of the Flu, in the Wake of the CoVid Pandemic

Understanding what's happening with the flu this season in NYS, also doesn't seem to be intelligently reported, as the TV news teleprompter readers and their script writers all seem to parrot one another with some alarming statistics. Alarming the public is good for ratings, so I reckon the broadcasters are doing what their bosses want them to do, but like the Boy Who Called Wolf, they're doing a disservice to the public and in the long term eventually a disservice to themselves, as the public is going to ignore them when another real health emergency arises.

Yes, the Flu is on the Rise & Dramatically so, Picking up from Where it Left Off in March 2020

Yes, the flu cases have risen very dramatically this year, especially when compared to the previous flu seasons, including prepandemic. But there's a story behind the numbers, which is that during the pandemic, the flu was overshadowed by CoVid because the flu has been around for about a century and for the most part the healthcare profession knows how to deal with it. As you can see from the chart, the green line - which is 2019 - 2020 flu season - was headed for a blockbuster year before CoVid stepped out onto the world stage, and CoVid has stolen the show up until now.

What happened since CoVid began in earnest in early 2020, is that people started masking up, social distancing and self-isolating. All of these precautions not only mitigate the transmission of CoVid - but also the flu. In part this is why the 2020 - 2021 flu numbers were close to nothing, and the 2021 - 2022 numbers were also very much subdued. Now, as we are in the beginning of the 2022 - 2023 flu season, the flu appears to be picking up where it left off in early 2020, before CoVid hit.

Flu Vaccinations Rates in 2022 vs 2019 Are Higher for Adults, but Lower for Children

I found some threads of inquiry that are worth investigating, which I hope will be pursued by a better resourced news organization soon, or by us eventually.

On the NYC.gov Health website I noticed that the number of Emergency Department visits for Influenza Like Illnesses, which they shorthand to ILL, have risen dramatically from 2021 to 2022, as have admissions - BUT the Emergency Department Admissions vis a vis the visits as a percentage has dropped to about half in 2022, versus what they were in 2021. That said, the overall number of people admitted for flu increased fairly substantially. See charts.

On the CDC [Center for Disease Control] website I found that while flu vaccination rates for adults are generally up when comparing 2022 versus 2019; the flu vaccination rates for children are down significantly in 2022 versus 2019. So it's possible that people's kids that may have mild cases of the flu are transmitting it to the adults, who are then getting sick. See charts below.

Both of these trends should be examined more closely by the NYC Health and CDC agencies, but that said, being aware of them can also help you navigate your way around them.

Conspiracy Theories - Did Government Payments Influence / Favor CoVid vs Flu Reporting?

On April, 27, 2020 USA Today published the results of an investigation into whether hospitals were paid more for CoVid patients on a ventillator than for flu patients on a ventillator. The higher payments for CoVid patients was true, but the study didn't find any 'gaming the system' on the part of hospitals. What's meant by this is that USA Today didn't find any falsification of data by hospitals in order to obtain the higher CoVid payment for the use of their ventillator. As you can see from the chart provided by KFF, which is a non-profit focused on providing healthcare information, about $31 billion in federal government spending was targeted at providing relief to healthcare providers treating patients with CoVid.

III. King CoVid is Back Again but ... CoVid's Reign is Waning

So, this brings us back to CoVid. CoVid has been the Talk of the Town for the past three years, but it's allure is fading.

New Cases / Hospitalizations / Deaths. In NYC we've been seeing about 300 new cases per day and on average there are about 4,000 people in NYC who have contracted and are living with CoVid. Also in NYC, as of today, about 130 patients are in the hospital with CoVid, and about a dozen folks died of it within the past day. About 14% of those tested at NYC clinics and hospitals tested positive for CoVid, but these numbers don't include the at home tests, so I don't know how meaningful a statistic the % testing positive is anymore.

All of this is more or less under control. We've moved from pandemic to endemic. So now let's see how CoVid plays out in the five boroughs of NYC geographically and ethnically. The following are a few stats that stick out to me.

By Age. About 99% of all adult New Yorkers received at least one vaccination dose. About 89% of NYC adults completed the original two shot vaccination program, while 48% have been boosted at least once. Kids under age 18 however do far less well vis a vis vaccinations. About 52% received at least one dose, only 45% actually completed the two shot regimen and only 16% have been boosted at least once.

By Boroughs. If you want to contract CoVid your best bet is eastern Brooklyn or southern Queens. But as you can see from the map, right now Queens looks pretty infected. But please bear in mind that this map can change dramatically - every ten days or so - so what you're seeing here is CoVid in NYC at a fleeting moment in time. See red map chart at the top of this report.

Ethnicity. Murdoch's Fox News / America's Disinformation Network Seems to be Dumbing Down White New Yorkers. Given George Washington, nearly 250 years ago, mandated that his troops be vaccinated, one would think that people today would recognize the value of protecting one's health via vaccinations. On many news programs, and for many measured categories, pundits use Whites as a sort of established national standard, when evaluating the progress being made by people in other demographic groups. Historically Whites have come out on top, because they've been members of the governing class, and the ethnic majority since this nation's founding.

But if a significant percentage of White New Yokers continue to rely on Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, Wall Street Journal and New York Post for their information, they'll soon enough lose their spot as a sort of aspirational ethnic national standard. The example I use to support these allegations today, is that White NYC Adults have the second lowest vaccination rate in the city of all ethnic groups, and White NYC children have the lowest CoVid vaccination rate in the city. Historically - pre-Murdoch - one would expect Whites to have the highest vaccination rates for both adults and children.

Murdoch media outlets have the predominant share of media in NYC, as Murdoch controls the Fox TV network, Fox 5, WNYW Channel 9, the Wall St Journal and the NY Post. Many of these Murdoch's outlets have done their audiences a disservice by not properly informing them vis a vis vaccines and vaccinations, in spite of the CoVid policies the company has implemented for itself [so Mr. Murdoch wants us to listen to his pundits as they say one thing & pay no attention to what Mr. Murdoch & Cos do, which is quite another thing].

Vaccinated People are Dying, but They're Generally Older and / or Infirm, & When Other Things are Equal, the Vaccinated Folks have a Far, Far Better Chance of Survival

Recently More Vaccinated Americans Died from CoVid than Unvaccinated Americans, BUT ... That's not true when you take into account age and other health variables, and whether or not they kept up with the vaccination boosters. In September 2021, 23% of those who died were vaccinated, that number rose to 42% in February 2022, and in August of 2022 it was 58%. BUT you need to know that at this point in the pandemic, most of the people dying of CoVid are over the age of 85 [see chart]. So while they are vaccinated, they are also very old and hence more susceptible to dying than those who are younger.

Vaccines Still Make a HUGE Difference. So the numbers, per a November 23, 2022 Washington Post report tells us, that: 1) unvaccinated Americans 6 months and older died at a rate 6x more those who got the first two doses of the vaccine, 2) unvaccinated Americans over age 5 died at an 8x rate than those who also received a booster, and 3) unvaccinated Americans age 50 and up were 12x times more likely to die than someone fully vaccinated with two boosters. So evaluate your risk and act accordingly. A shot in the arm seems a small price to pay for protection / insurance.

Protect the Elderly - CoVid Mitigation Advice is as Easy of 1-2-3-4-5

1. Stay up to date on your CoVid vaccinations. As time goes on and this abates, perhaps we can back off this regimen and like flu, it will be something we'll vaccinate against as we age.

2. Wash your hands regularly before touching your face - most notably your mouth and nose.

3. Social distance as much as you can, and wear a mask when in an enclosed public space or a crowded outdoor space.

4. Avoid people who are ill / coughing and stay at home if it's you.

5. And test yourself before attending events with family and friends in enclosed spaces if you're uncertain whether or not you have contracted CoVid. And if you caught CoVid, test yourself after about five or six days, to make sure you no longer have it before going back out in public.

Editor's Note. There are a number of advertisements on this site that you can click to find a testing site near you, as well as ads that you can click which will tell you where you can seek CoVid treatment if you need it.

All Other - We Continue to Learn More About CoVid

There's a whole slew of additional data I dug up about some of the other impacts of catching CoVid vis a vis its long term impact on one's health ['long CoVid'] and possible impact on Alzheimers.

We're also learning more about the vaccines and their impact on people. So as not to scare you, about the only thing I have found so far in this regard, is that there may be a slight lengthening of women's menstrual cycles.

We'll be back with more, but probably next year.

Have a nice week.

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

This is the Peak Party Holiday Weekend, Holiday Concerts, Holiday Shopping & Menorah Lightings as Hanukkah Begins

December 16, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs descend from the high 40's on Friday to about 40 on Saturday and then into the high 30's on Sunday. The temperature lows drop from the mid 30's on Friday, to about 30 on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity drops from between 70% and 80% on Friday, to about 60% on Saturday and then into the 50% range on Sunday. The winds will be 12 - 16 on Friday and then about 10 mph for the rest of the weekend. About a half inch of rain is due Friday, ending about 4 pm in the afternoon, and thereafter the weekend should be dry.

The photo at right was taken last week along 6th Avenue, near Bryant Park in Midtown. The city is again entertaining fair crowds of tourists and New Yorkers.

Holiday Things To Do in Manhattan - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain detail

* On Friday, Saturday & Sunday, December 16, 17 & 18, 2022 beginning at 7 pm Fri, 3 pm & 7 pm Sat, and 3 pm on Sun - performance of the show entitled Home for the Holidays. at Harlem School for the Arts at At 645 St. Nicholas Avenue in West Harlem north of the Upper West Side near Inwood and Washington Heights. Tickets $23 for all days except Sunday which is Free.

* On Saturday December 17th the Harlem Night market will be running La Marqueta from 4 to 8 pm. La Marqueta is located at 1590 Park Avenue between 112th and 115th Streets in East Harlem, underneath the Metro North tracks.

* Sunday, December 18, 2022 between 12 noon and 6 pm, Fifth Avenue will be closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians from 48th to 57th Street in Midtown.

* LAST DAY _ On Sunday from 10 am - 5.30 pm for the price of an MTA fare, passengers may ride the MTA vintage / nostalgia 1930s, 1940's, 1950's and 1960's train cars from between Chambers Street in the West Village and West 137th Street in Harlem.

* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 10 am - 12 noon a Hanukkah celebration at the 92nd Y at 1395 Lexington Avenue between 91st & 92nd Avenues on the Upper East Side. Free. https://www.92ny.org

* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 11 am - 3.30 pm the Jewish Museum at 1109 5th Avenue at 92nd Street on the UES of Manhattan is hosting a modern Hanukkah exhibit with an interactive light show. Free w/ museum admission of $18 / $12 or $8.

* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 4 to 5.30 pm there's the Riverside Church Candelight Carol Service at Riverside Church at 490 Riverside Drive between 120th and 122nd Streets on the Upper West Side. The musical prelude begins at 3 pm. Then a candle light service with the full cultural theater developed over thousands of years by the Christian church. They describe it as thus, "... combines carillon, organ, harp, and all of the choirs of The Riverside Church and culminates in a ritual sharing of candlelight illuminating the Nave ...". Tickets are $25 / $35 / donation.

* On Sunday, December 18 - 26, 2022 beginning at 5.30 pm nightly except on - Friday at 3.30 pm & Saturday at 8.30 pm there's the Grand Army Plaza Manhattan Menorah Lighting Events Hanukkah 2022. At Grand Army Plaza at 5th Avenue & 59th Street in Midtown Manhattan.

* On Monday, December 19, 2022 beginning at 8 pm Handel's Messiah in the Stern Auditorium on the Perlman Stage at Carnegie Hall at 57th Street and 7th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. A classic Christmas choral performance at one of NYC's oldest and finest cultural venues. Tickets are $28 plus $9 Processing or $80 plus $9 processing at https://www.carnegiehall.org.

All Weekend the holiday shops at Bryant Park, Grand Central Station, Times Square, Columbus Circle, Union Square Park, the Grand Bazaar on the UWS, the Chelsea Market, and the World Trade Center are all open - not just this weekend but through to Christmas. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday markets.

All Weekend the Luminaires Light Installation at Brookfield Place will be on. Ice rinks at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center are open. The Rockefeller Christmas tree is up, but not lit. ORIGAMI at the American Museum of Natural History on the UWS.

Also it's worth noting the the Winter Solstice Concert at St. John the Divine, which was virtual last year, again doesn't appear to be returning live this year.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Manhattan, click these links - Manhattan holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Manhattan Holiday Markets NYC.

Holiday Things To Do in Brooklyn - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

* On Friday & Saturday there will be a performance of classical music by the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra at St Ann's Holy Trinity Church at 157 Montague Street in Downtown Brooklyn beginning at 7 pm and 11 am respectively. Rsvp $40.

* On Saturday there's a Caribbean holiday market followed by a concert at Medgar Evers College at 1650 Bedford Avenue in Crown Heights Brooklyn. The market opens at 5.30 pm and the concert begins at 7 pm. Tickets are $30 / $25 at https://www.braataproductions.org/.

* On Saturday there's a one day pop up market from 11 am - 6 pm at 203 37th Street in Industry City in the Greenwood Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn.

* On Saturday, beginning at 1 pm there's a trolley tour about history, art and nature being given at the Green - Wood Cemetery. You must rsvp and it costs $30.

* On Saturday from 4 - 5.30 the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music hosts a Principles of Kwanzaa Workshop which is most suited for kids 8 - 14 and their parents. Free. At the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music at 58 7th Avenue in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn NYC.

* On Saturday at 7 pm and on Sunday at 9 am, 12 noon and 3 pm, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir will perform a number of free holiday concerts.

* On Saturday there's a performance of the Nutcracker ballet beginning at 4 pm at Our Lady of Angels Parish at 337 74th Street in Bay Ridge Brooklyn. $20.

* Sunday, 12/18/22 beginning at 2 pm and 6.30 pm, the Kings Theatre in Flatbush is hosting performances of the Hip Hop Nutcracker.

* On Sunday 12/18/22, there's a menorah lighting at the Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park, also beginning at 4 pm.

* On Saturday & Sunday, the Fort Greene holiday pop up market will be open from 9 am - 4 pm along DeKalb Street between Washington Park and South Oxford Street near the farmers market and adjacent to Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn.

* On Saturday and Sunday there's a holiday market at the Brooklyn Museum 200 Eastern Parkway in the Prospect Heights from 11 am - 7.30 pm on Saturday and closing at 5.30 pm Sunday.

* On Saturday and Sunday, the Dumbo Improvement District is hosting a holiday flea market from 10 am - 5 pm at the Dumbo Triangle at Pearl Street. The Brooklyn Flea is open weekends at 80 Pearl Street.

* Weekend Market. The FAD [Fashion / Art / Design] markets is open Saturday from 11 am - 6 pm and Sundays from noon - 6 pm closing Sunday 12/18. They have two locations - one at the Invisible Dog Art Center at 51 Bergen Street in Boerum Hill, and at Empire Stores at 55 Water Street in Dumbo.

* Weekend Market. Artists and Fleas hosts their Regeneration holiday market on Saturdays and Sundays at 70 North Street in Williamsburg through the December weekends leading up to Christmas.

* All weekend there's also a holiday pop up market from 11 am - 7 pm on Friday & Saturday and closing at 6 pm on Sunday at 135 Kent Avenue at 6th Street in Williamsburg. The market features 35 vendors selling a variety of goods including fashion, beauty products, homewares, kids items and food. This market stays open next week and closes on Saturday 12/24/22.

* All Weekend - Holiday lights in Dyker Heights and the Lightscape Show at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday events.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Brooklyn, click these links - Brooklyn holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Brooklyn Holiday Markets NYC.

Holiday Things To Do in Queens - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

* On Sunday at 3.30 pm the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center hosts a performance of the Nutcracker ballet in LIC. Tickets are $21 at https://www.lpac.nyc.

* On Saturday there's a Governor's Victorian Ball at King Manor beginning from 4.30 - 7 pm. Tickets are $22 and include hors d'oeuvres and musical entertainment. They suggest you dress up in a costume of the age. Rsvp at www.kingmanor.org.

* On Saturday, there's a holiday caroling event from 7 - 10 pm at Cassidy's Ale House at 75-02 31st Avenue and 75th Street in Elmhurst / Jackson Heights. Free.

* Sunday, 12/18 from noon to 6 pm the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden hosts a holiday market in Astoria.

* On Sunday the Oratorio Society of Queens will perform a Christmas / Hanukkah concert beginning at the St. Kevin Roman Catholic Church at 45-21 194th Street in Flushing Queens. Tickets $45 / $30 / $10.

* On Sunday afternoon there's a holiday market in Rufus King Park in tandem with the Jamaica Performing Arts Center across the street.

* All weekend there is a holiday market / sale at the Culture Lab at 5-25 46th Avenue between Vernon Blvd and 5th Street in Long Island City Queens. Details for all markets in Queens can be found using the link below.

* All Weekend. The Winter Lantern Festival began at the Queens County Farm at 7350 Little Neck Parkway. The Amaze Lights Festival began November 11th at CitiField in Flushing and runs through January 8th, 2023. And the Queens County Farm runs a holiday market daily from 10 am - 5 pm.

* Between now and the New Year [except Mondays & Christmas Day], the Secret Theatre at 3802 61st Street in Woodside Queens is performing A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens about a rich, lonely, miserly, miserable old man. Admission $30 / $15.

* The photo above right was taken last weekend, as I was on a subway winding its way past the new 5 Pointz building in Long Island City in Queens.

* For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Queens, click these links - Queens holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Queens Holiday Markets NYC.

Holiday Things To Do in the Bronx - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

* On Friday, December 16, 2022 from 5.30 - 7.30 pm, Santa will be visiting the Westchester Square Business Improvement District and there will be holiday treats, the Yuletide Singers and tree lighting. At Owen Dolan Park at 2551 Westchester Avenue at Tremont Avenue in the Westchester Square neighborhood of the Bronx.

* On Friday & Saturday, the Bartow Pell Mansion is hosting candelight tours of the mansion from 5 - 7 pm. Also on Thursday and Friday 12/22 & 12/23/22. $12. And on Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 3 - 4.30 pm - Sparkling Holiday Tea. $45.

* On Saturday & Sunday, December 17 & 18, 2022 beginning at 12.30 and 4.30 pm each day there will be performances of the classical ballet, The Nutcracker, by the Westchester Ballet Company in the Lovinger Theater which is at the north end of the campus at Lehman College at 250 Bedford Park Blvd West in Bedford Park in the Bronx. Tickets $31 - $63 https://www.lehmancenter.org/

* On Saturday, December 17, 2022 beginning at 2.30 pm there will be a Bronx Holiday Concert at St. Helenas Roman Catholic Church at 1315 Olmsted Avenue in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx. MASKS ARE REQUIRED. Tickets cost $20 / $15 / $5.

* On Sunday 12/18/22, there's a free classical holiday concert to be performed in the Lehman Concert Hall which is in the middle of the campus. Free.

* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 2 - 3 pm there will be a Chanukah concert to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah at the Bronx Jewish Center at 900 Pelham Parkway in the Pelham Parkway neighborhood of the Bronx NYC.

* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 beginning at 6.30 pm there's a Menorah Lighting & Interfaith Holiday Music event, at Hawkins Park at 281 City Island Avenue [the main drag] on City Island neighborhood in the East Bronx. The lighting event will be followed by a reception at the City Island Art Gallery. This is organized by Temple Beth-El synogogue. All are welcome.

* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 beginning at 4 pm there will be a Bronx Hanukkah menorah lighting including live music, hot latkes, donuts, dreidels, and balloons at the Bell Tower Monument at West 239th Street and Henry Hudson Parkway in the Riverdale neighborhood in the Bronx. This event is organized by Chabad Bronx.

* All Weekend - The Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and NY Botanical Garden Glow and NY Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show also run all weekend.

* For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in the Bronx, click this link Bronx Holiday Markets & Bronx Holiday Events NYC.

Holiday Things To Do on Staten Island - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

* On Friday, 12/16/22, the St. George Theatre is hosting the Staten Island Jazz Festival in St. George beginning at 7.30 pm. Tickets are $35 / VIP $125. https://stgeorgetheatre.com

* On Saturday, December 17, 2022 from 9 to 11 am there's a holiday breakfast with Santa for kids ages 3 - 11, including Santa, a holiday market, candyland and arts & crafts. At Colony Hall in the Sea View Farm Colony at 460 Brielle Avenue in the Manor Heights neighborhood of Staten Island. Organized by the Grace Foundation.

* On Saturday & Sunday, December 17 & 18, 2022 beginning at 5.30 pm Saturday and at 1 pm and 4 pm on Sunday there are performances of the classical ballet, the Nutcracker, by the Staten Island Ballet Dancers in Nicotra's Ballroom in the Hilton Garden Inn at 1100 South Avenue in the Bloomfield neighborhood on Staten Island. Tickets $85 SOLD OUT.

* On Sunday beginning at 5 pm there's a holiday lighting event in Westerleigh Park in the Westerleigh neighborhood of Staten Island.

* On Saturday and Sunday from 5.30 - 7.30 pm Historic Richmond Town is giving Candelight Tours. Tickets are $25 / $23 and kid age five and under are free.

* On Sunday 12/18/22 from 11 am - 3 pm, the Old Bermuda Inn hosts its final weekend of holiday brunches with Santa.

* All Weekend - There's a Winter Wonderland at Snug Harbor from 5 pm - 11.45 pm. The Staten Island Mall is hosting photo sessions with Santa.

* For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Staten Island, click these links - Staten Island holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Staten Island Holiday Markets NYC.

Also we're still updating our New Years Eve parties / restaurants suggestions. Click this link to view. It should be mostly completed by Saturday, December 17th.

Enjoy.

* Picketing for the One Day Strike at the New York Times didn't Last a Day

How Not to do a Strike?

December 13, 2022 / NYC Business News / Midtown Manhattan / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz. 

Early last week I caught wind that there was an impending strike coming to the New York Times.  It was a snippet of a news story, but seemed important, given the prominence and influence of the Times. The Times is one of the two most prestigious papers in the nation along with the Washington Post, and one of a small number of such influential newspapers in the world.

NYT Strike on Thursday, December 8, 2022

So, when I heard that the strike was actually happening on Thursday late afternoon, I dropped everything and headed down to the New York Times office building in Midtown Manhattan.  I had a hunch that the strikers would be disbanding - if not gone - by the time the TV news ended at 7 pm. 

It turns out I was right, as I arrived right around 7 pm and there wasn't a striker in sight.  I walked completely around the block, covering all street exits of the Times office building, including 8th Avenue and 40th and 41st Streets. The strikers had been there, just not for a very long time.

I asked several people coming out of the building about the strike.  Most of them shrugged me off, in a surly sort of manner.  One of them responded telling me that the strikers were there in the afternoon, marching along 8th Avenue.  But, as mentioned, there wasn't a striker in sight, and no trace that they had been there.  Unless they had slipped into Wolfgang's Steakhouse for drinks and dinner [see photo below].

The photo above right was taken outside of the Times office building in Midtown Manhattan around 7 pm on December 8, 2022 - the day of the one day strike. The picketing appears not to have lasted the day.

A reported 1,100 members of the News Guild of New York gave up a days pay, to stage the one day walk out on Thursday, December 8th.  The union represents 1,450 NYT employees, of which 1270 are newsroom personnel, according to the Wall St. Journal.  Based on the coverage I saw by other news organizations of the strike, far fewer folks picketed on Thursday, than the number of those who didn't show up for work and gave up the day of pay. My guesstimate of the number who picketed was in the low hundred(s).

Components of the Negotiations Between the NYT & News Guild Union

The union, which won't negotiate with management in person, incited the strike to prod management into moving forward with the contract renewal negotiations on a contract that expired in March of 2021.  The negotiations included the fate of the pension vis a vis a 401K, medical benefits - specifically fertility insurance coverage, flex time for working in / out of the office, and of course pay. 

At present wage increases seem to be the sticking point.  According to PBS the Times is offering a 5.5% pay increase upon completion of the contract [providing for pay increases for the prior two years - 2021 & 2022], followed by 3% increases in 2023 and 2024.  The union wants 10% to cover the prior two years upon completion of the deal.  The 5.5% for the past two years is 2.75% per year, while inflation during the same period was 4.7% in 2021 and an estimated 7.5% for 2022.

Thus, the net of what the Times is offering in terms of pay - not the other components of which some appear to be additive - is a slight cut in pay when inflation is taken into consideration.

The photo at right was taken looking into Wolfgang's Steakhouse, while covering the NYT Strike outside, on December 8, 2022.

NYT & U.S. Media Industry Finances & Employment

The union argues that the Times is doing well, having generated over $220 million in profit last year [2021].  According to NY Magazine, the Times is also on track to make a profit of $300 million this year.

But that said, it's worth noting that of late, the media industry has continued shedding employees / jobs.  According to CNN, Gannett recently laid off 200 employees, PBS is looking to cut $10 million from its budget, and CNN itself laid off hundreds of staffers.  According to Axios there have been about 3,000 layoffs in the media industry in the past year, with 1,100 of those coming from news media, including Netflix and Warner Bros.

Strikers Negligible Impact on NYT Operations

During the one day strike, on Thursday, December 8th, the Times website was published as if nobody was missing.  The Times had employees prepare advance work, like they do for the weekend edition, while keeping a skeleton crew on board for breaking news. 

Some journalists compared the one day NYT strike this past week, to a prolonged 114 day strike staged in 1962 & 1963, musing how times had changed.  In the 1962 - 1963 strike 17,000 union members walked out on the seven NYC dailies.  At the end of the strike, four of the seven papers folded. But back then newspapers were [categorized as] manufacturing businesses, because they actually 'produced' the news by converting paper and ink into information that was delivered like milk, to customers' front doors.

NYT Ownership Still Controlled by the Sulzberger Family

It's worth noting that in August an activist investment firm, ValueAct, acquired 7% of the stock of the New York Times.  The Times is currently valued at $5.7 billion and today a stake that size would cost about $400 million.  The investment firm reportedly plans to push the NYT to more aggressively monetize its assets. 

Carlos Slim Helu acquired nearly 7% of the Times stock in 2008.  He then proceeded to lend the Times $250 million, which was repaid in 2011, three years ahead of schedule.  Helu increased his stake in the Times in 2015 to 17%.  In 2017 Helu pared back his holdings, by about a half million shares, out of a total of the 28 million shares he held.

The Sulzberger Family still retains control through a dual class share structure, whereby they control 70% of the board seats with only 20% of the stock.  The Sulzberger Family has controlled the New York Times since 1896.

Beware our Changing Times - Know Who Controls the Integrity of the Information you Consume

Lastly, a word of caution.  It's worth noting that investment firms and billionaires are rapidly gobbling up what's left of the newspaper world.  They also appear to be interested in using the media to push their own narratives onto the public.  Rupert Murdoch is an extreme example of someone who appears to use his mass media outlets to manipulate the public, but increasingly he's no longer the exception. The super wealthy - including Elon Musk, Donald Trump and tightly controlled investment firms - have acquired, founded or taken positions in most of the medium to large sized newspaper, broadcast and online outlets.  Unfortunately many of them appear to be using the outlets they control to push their own narratives, sometimes regardless of the facts. 

So, remember that the world is constantly changing.  And while the logos of the media outlets you rely upon may not change, the people behind the scenes who are running them, do.

Have a good one.

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Holidays Tree Lightings, Holiday Caroling, Holiday Community Gatherings & Holiday Markets

December 10, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 40's, and the temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's, all weekend. About 1/3 inch of precipitation is expected on Sunday between the hours of noon and midnight. Winds will be about 7 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will rise from 40% - 50% on Friday, to 50% - 65% on Saturday, to 70% - 80% on Sunday.

The photo at right was taken this week along 5th Avenue, which was fairly crowded Thursday evening with tourists and New Yorkers.

Holiday Things To Do in Manhattan - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

Friday and Saturday, beginning at 7 pm, Handel's Messiah at historic Trinity Church near Wall Street in Downtown Manhattan.

Saturday 12.10.22 morning beginning at 10 am at 39th and Broadway marks the start of the Santa Con. Santa Con is a day long bar hopping event with a couple dozen participating bars. Many folks dress up. Tickets are $16 at https://santacon.nyc/.

Also on Saturday, Alicia Keys will be performing at the United Palace in Washington Heights. The tickets are free and already sold out, but it may be a very, very long shot that some folks don't show.

The first three Saturdays in December [12/3, 10 & 17] the Harlem Night market will be running La Marqueta from 4 to 8 pm.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dances Patrelle returns with the Nutcracker at the Kaye Playhouse on the UES. The performances a delight to the senses. Tickets range from $65 - $75 at https://www.dancespatrelle.org/.

Also all weekend is the Holy Trinity Holiday market on the UES. It's quite unique in the merchandise for sale.

On Sunday the Tompkins Square tree lighting begins at 4 pm in the East Village. Sundays, December 4, 11 & 18, 2022 between 12 noon and 6 pm, Fifth Avenue will be closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians from 48th to 57th Street in Midtown. On Sunday from 10 am - 5.30 pm for the price of an MTA fare, passengers may ride the MTA vintage / nostalgia 1930s, 1940's, 1950's and 1960's train cars from between Chambers Street in the West Village and West 137th Street in Harlem.

All Weekend the holiday shops at Bryant Park, Grand Central Station, Times Square, Columbus Circle, Union Square Park, the Grand Bazaar on the UWS, the Chelsea Market, and the World Trade Center are all open - not just this weekend but through to Christmas. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday markets.

All Weekend the Luminaires Light Installation at Brookfield Place will be on. Ice rinks at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center are open. The Rockefeller Christmas tree is up, but not lit. ORIGAMI at the American Museum of Natural History on the UWS.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Manhattan, click these links - Manhattan holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Manhattan Holiday Markets NYC.

Holiday Things To Do in Brooklyn - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

The Fort Hamilton holiday celebration and market is Friday, December 9th. So if you're planning to go you need to register to gain access to the army base.

On Saturday from 10 am - 4 pm at the Old Stone House in Park Slope there's a holiday market.

On Saturday 12/11/ 22, the Kings Theatre in Flatbush is hosting performances of the Nutcracker beginning at 2 pm and 7 pm. They are hosting the Hip Hop Nutcracker on Sunday, 12/18/22 beginning at 2 pm and 6.30 pm.

On Saturdays and Sundays the first three weekends in December, the Dumbo Improvement District is hosting a holiday flea market from 10 am - 5 pm at the Dumbo Triangle at Pearl Street. The Brooklyn Flea is open weekends at 80 Pearl Street.

On Sunday, the Greenpointers Holiday Market runs from 6.30 - 8.30 pm at the Greenpoint Loft. Also on both Saturdays and Sundays in December before Christmas is the Fort Greene holiday market from 10 am - 4 pm. It's located next to the Farmers market you can use search on this site to find it.

On Sunday there's a pop up record sale in Gowanus Gardens in Brooklyn.

Weekend Markets. The FAD [Fashion / Art / Design] markets also open Saturdays (11 am - 6) and Sundays (noon - 6 pm) closing the weekend before [12/18] the Christmas weekend. Artists and Fleas hosts their Regeneration holiday market on Saturdays and Sundays in Williamsburg through the December weekends leading up to Christmas.

All Weekend - Holiday lights in Dyker Heights and the Lightscape Show at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday events.

Next Wednesday 12/14/22 from 4 - 6 pm there's a tree lighting at the Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park. The Menorah Lighting at the same location is on the following Sunday 12/18/22, also beginning at 4 pm.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Brooklyn, click these links - Brooklyn holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Brooklyn Holiday Markets NYC.

Holiday Things To Do in Queens - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

On Friday from 7 - 9 pm there's the St. Nicholas Illumination done by Sunnyside Reformed and Queen of Angels churches beginning from 48th Street and Skillman Avenue in Sunnyside.

On Friday and Saturday 12/9 & 12/10 the premiere of a new play about the pandemic at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center opens for two nights only in LIC. Tickets are $20 at https://www.lpac.nyc.

On Saturday, from 11.30 am - 3.30 pm in Astoria, along Steinway Street between 31st and 38th Streets, Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus will be giving out gifts while supplies last and there will holiday entertainment and displays.

On Saturday, in St. Albans, from 12 noon to 6 pm there's a Winter Festival at the Black Spectrum Theatre.

On Saturday there's a wreath making workshop from 1 - 4 pm at the Queens Botanical Garden. Tickets are $35 / $30 & include materials.

Also on Saturday there's a murder mystery dinner at King Manor beginning at 5.30 pm. Tickets are $71 at www.kingmanor.org and include hors d'oeuvres and drinks.

On Saturday, from 11.30 am - 3.30 pm, Flushing Town Hall is hosting a fundraiser holiday party. Tickets are $100 / $150.

Also on Saturday there's a Caribbean holiday market followed by a concert at the Merrick Academy Charter School at 136-25 218th Street in Springfield Queens. The market opens at 5.30 pm and the concert begins at 7 pm. Tickets are $30 / $25 at https://www.braataproductions.org/.

On Sunday the Holiday Historic House Tours return to Flushing from 1 - 5 pm. It's an opportunity to see eight historic houses dating from colonial times to the 1950's [Louis Armstrong's House] for one low fee. A bus runs between the houses that you can use for free of $15 / $20.

On Sunday from noon to 7 pm the historic Grace Episcopal Church will host a Christmas Church Bazaar. Free admittance.

Santa is visiting the NY Irish Center at 1040 Jackson Avenue in LIC on Sunday, from 2 to 4 pm. Tickets are $7 at https://www.newyorkirishcenter.org. On Tuesday, 12/13 from 7 - 10 pm they are hosting a showcase of performances and a holiday celebration. Tickets $15.

This Sunday from noon to 5 pm, Katch Astoria will also be hosting a Queens Craft Brigade holiday market.

Sundays, 12/11 & 12/18 from noon to 6 pm the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden hosts a holiday market in Astoria.

Also on Sunday the Queens Symphony Orchestra is performing its holiday concert at the LeFrak Concert Hall from 3 - 5 pm. Tickets are $40 - $95, but they sold out.

All weekend there are a couple of holiday markets / sales - one at Culture Lab and the other at Brickhouse Ceramics in Long Island City. Details for both and all other markets in Queens can be found using the link below.

All Weekend. The Winter Lantern Festival began at the Queens County Farm at 7350 Little Neck Parkway. The Amaze Lights Festival began November 11th at CitiField in Flushing and runs through January 8th, 2023. And the Queens County Farm runs a holiday market daily from 10 am - 5 pm.

Next Tuesday beginning at 5 pm there's a holiday celebration at the LIC Bar organized by the Chocolate Factory and the LIC the Long Island City Partnership. There's also a performance at the NY Irish Center [see details above]. Next Wednesday, 12/14/22 beginning at 7.30 pm the Jackson Heights Orchestra lights up their holiday concert at St. Mark's Church. On Thursday, 12/15/22, in Jackson Heights at the Langston Hughes Library & Cultural Center there will be an Upcycled Gifts event from 6 - 7.30 pm.

The photo at right was taken last weekend at the Queen of Angels Crafts and Arts Fair featuring and organized by Sunnyside Artists.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Queens, click these links - Queens holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Queens Holiday Markets NYC.

Holiday Things To Do in the Bronx - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

Friday the Fordham BID hosts its holiday celebration in Bryan Park in the Fordham neighborhood.

On Friday & Saturday 12/9 & 12/10, the Bartow Pell Mansion is hosting candelight tours of the mansion from 5 - 7 pm.

POSSIBLY AN ERROR ON THEIR WEBSITE OR CANCELLED _ On Saturday the Bronx Museum was hosting a Family day from 1 - 4 pm, but it's been taken off the calendar so it may have been cancelled.

On Sunday, the Church of the Mediator at 260 West 231st Street in Kingsbridge is hosting a holiday concert featuring the Christmas classics beginning at 3 pm, to be followed by a reception. Tickets are $25 / $10.

Also on Sunday there's a Caribbean holiday market followed by a concert at the Harry S. Truman High School at 750 Baychester Avenue in Coop City in the Bronx. The market opens at 4.30 pm and the concert begins at 6.30 pm. Tickets are $30 / $25 at https://www.braataproductions.org/.

On Sunday at Wave Hill Garden and Cultural Center there's a holiday concert from 2 - 3 pm featuring Lara Downes in Riverdale. Tickets are $30 / $16 / $14 at https://www.wavehill.org.

All Weekend - The Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and NY Botanical Garden Glow and NY Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show also run all weekend.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in the Bronx, click this link Bronx Holiday Markets & Bronx Holiday Events NYC.

Holiday Things To Do on Staten Island - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the St. George Theatre is hosting its 19th Annual Christmas Show which features about 100 Staten Island performers. Tickets are $10 / $20 / $30 / $40 & $50. Funds raised go to help the theater.

On Saturday morning Empire Outlets is doing a Breakfast with Santa from 10 - 11 am in St. George.

On Saturday there's a holiday market organized by Maker Radio in Stapleton from 11 am - 4 pm.

On Saturday there's a holiday event at the Alice Austen House in Shore Acres from 12 noon - 3 pm. The event allows visitors to have their photo taken and aura read for $20 / $30.

On Saturday from 3 - 6 pm there's a holiday tree lighting / Santa Visit event in Tappan Park in Stapleton.

On Saturday, the William H. Pouch Scout Camp tree lighting event begins at 6 pm. Admission is $5.

On Saturday and Sunday from 5.30 - 7.30 pm Historic Richmond Town is giving Candelight Tours. Tickets are $25 / $23 and kid age five and under are free. Prior to the tours on both days, Historic Richmond Town is hosting a crafts making event at many of the local shops, whereby you can watch how things were made a century and a half ago, and then buy them. Tickets are $12 / $10. On Saturday Only at 5 pm there's a tree lighting ceremony at 5 pm.

On Sunday from 11 am - 3 pm, the Old Bermuda Inn continues its holiday brunches with Santa.

All Weekend - There's a Winter Wonderland at Snug Harbor from 5 pm - 11.45 pm. The Staten Island Mall is hosting photo sessions with Santa.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Staten Island, click these links - Staten Island holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Staten Island Holiday Markets NYC.

Enjoy.

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Holidays are Going Full Tilt This Week with Tree Lightings, Caroling, Community Gatherings and Holiday Markets

December 2, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 40's on Friday, the high 50's on Saturday and descending back to the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Friday, descending to the low 30's on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity will climb from 50% to 60% on Friday, to 55% to 77% on Saturday before descending back to 50% to 60% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, rising to 10 - 15 mph on Saturday and then falling to 5 mph on Sunday. About a quarter inch of rain is expected between 7 am and 1 pm on Saturday, otherwise it's a dry weekend.

The photo at right was taken last week. What strikes me about this photo, and other scenes in the city like it, is the lingering foliage and color we're still seeing at this late date in the season.

This weekend we could top 60 degrees, which as you know, is unseasonably warm. Even the birds and insects are confused by this weather. For example at a Thanksgiving Day dinner in Connecticut I noticed there were insects hovering around the table, and in Queens - just yesterday - I walked past a bevy of trees which were alive with the noise of what seemed an entire flock of tweeting birds. It was fairly cold yesterday, so I thought perhaps their beaks were chattering, like we humans do when it's very cold.

Holiday Things To Do in Manhattan - Open Streets in Midtown

All Weekend the holiday shops at Bryant Park, Grand Central Station, Times Square, Columbus Circle, Union Square Park, the Grand Bazaar on the UWS, the Chelsea Market, and the World Trade Center are all open - not just this weekend but through to Christmas. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday markets.

Unique markets open only this weekend include one at the Indian Museum, and one - La Marqueta - only on Saturday in Harlem. On Sunday 12/4/22 there's an ornament making workshop at the Ukrainian Museum where they're encouraging folks to do some holiday shopping at the museum gift shop as they aren't hosting a bazaar this year. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday markets.

On Saturday Hudson Park is hosting its tree lighting. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday events.

Note that on Sundays, December 4, 11 & 18, 2022 between 12 noon and 6 pm, Fifth Avenue will be closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians from 48th to 57th Street. On Sunday from 10 am - 5.30 pm for the price of an MTA fare, passengers may ride the MTA vintage / nostalgia 1930s, 1940's, 1950's and 1960's train cars from between Chambers Street in the West Village and West 137th Street in Harlem. Brick Presbyterian Church has its Park Avenue tree lighting on Sunday, as does Carl Schurz Park which hosts its tree lighting Sunday. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday events.

All Weekend the Luminaires Light Installation at Brookfield Place will be on. Ice rinks at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center are open. The Rockefeller Christmas tree is up, but not lit. ORIGAMI at the American Museum of Natural History on the UWS. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday events.

Next Wednesday both Madison Square Park and Washington Square Park have their tree lightings. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday events.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Manhattan, click these links - Manhattan holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Manhattan Holiday Markets NYC.

Holiday Things To Do in Brooklyn

On Friday night, December 2, 2022 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music aka BAM, community activist Angela Davis will speak and there's also a Slavic Soul party. The Lott House is also hosting a Sinterklaus tree lighting event with cocoa, cookies & music. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday events.

On Saturday there's a St Nicholas celebration at The Vande Ende Onderdonk House which is an historic Dutch colonial house celebrates. Also the Wyckoff Museum is hosting an outdoor St Nicholas event with St Nick arriving on a live horse around 2.30 pm.

On Saturday there's a pop up market at Fort Greene Park. On Saturday and Sunday, December 3 & 4, 2022 there's a holiday market at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and a couple of holiday flea markets - one in Williamsburg and the other in Dumbo. The FAD [Fashion / Art / Design] markets also open this weekend and remain open weekends, closing prior to the Christmas weekend. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday markets.

On Sunday there's a Christmas tree lighting in Fort Greene Park. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday events.

All Weekend - Holiday lights in Dyker Heights and the Lightscape Show at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday events.

Lastly, it's worth noting that the Fort Hamilton holiday celebration and market is next Friday, December 9th. So if you're planning to go you need to register to gain access to the army base.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Brooklyn, click these links - Brooklyn holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Brooklyn Holiday Markets NYC.

Holiday Things To Do in Queens

On Friday, December 2nd in Jackson Heights beginning at 5 pm there's a tree lighting organized by the 82nd Street Partnership. There's also a tree lighting at Harpell's Pharmacy in Bayside. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday events.

On Saturday, December 3rd there's a holiday party in Astoria Park in the afternoon organized by CALDC. Also on Saturday in Astoria, along Steinway Street, there will be Christmas carolers making their way up and down the street from late morning through most of the afternoon. In Jackson Heights the JH Beautification Group is hosting its annual tree lighting and holiday celebration beginning at 4 pm. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday events.

Also on Saturday, December 3rd in the afternoon, there are a couple of holiday art fairs in LIC hosted by artists. In Sunnyside, there's an arts and crafts fair all day long. And in Bayside there are also a couple of holiday fairs which run in the morning and most of the afternoon, which are hosted by churches. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday markets.

On both Saturday and Sunday in Flushing there will be a tree lighting combined with arts and crafts projects at the Queens Botanical Garden. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday events.

All Weekend. The Winter Lantern Festival began at the Queens County Farm at 7350 Little Neck Parkway. The Amaze Lights Festival began November 11th at CitiField in Flushing and runs through January 8th, 2023. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday events.

There are also a number of events that happen next week, including the premiere of a new play about the pandemic at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in LIC. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday events.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Queens, click these links - Queens holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Queens Holiday Markets NYC.

Holiday Things To Do in the Bronx

All Weekend - The Wave Hill Garden and Cultural Center is hosting wreath making workshops in Riverdale. The Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and NY Botanical Garden Glow and NY Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show also run all weekend. Details to all of these and other holiday markets and holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Bronx holiday markets and events.

On Saturday 12/3/22 there's a Salsa Dance Party at the Bronx Museum. There's also a holiday event at the Bronx Terminal Market in the Concourse neighborhood. And a late afternoon / early evening holiday tree lighting on Arthur Avenue in the Little Italy neighborhood of the Bronx. The Bartow Pell Mansion is hosting its annual holiday party and fundraiser. Details to all of these and other holiday markets and holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Bronx holiday markets and events.

On Sunday 12/4/22, there's a free classical holiday concert at Lehman College in Bedford Park. Also on Sunday the Throggs Neck Merchants Assocation hosts its annual holiday celebration at the Bronx Library at the DeRosa O'Boyle Triangle in the Throgs Neck neighborhood of the Bronx. Details to all of these and other holiday markets and holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Bronx holiday markets and events.

Next Thursday, 12/8/22 there's a holiday celebration with Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson at Lou Gehrig Plaza at Borough Hall at 161st Street and the Grand Concourse in the Mott Haven / Concourse neighborhoods of the Bronx. That same evening there will be another holiday lights celebration at the Mosholu Parkway Lawn in Norwood neighborhood of the Bronx.

And Next Friday the Fordham BID hosts its holiday celebration in Bryan Park in the Fordham neighborhood. Also next Friday the Bartow Pell Mansion begins hosting candelight tours of the mansion. Details to all of these and other holiday markets and holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Bronx holiday markets and events.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in the Bronx, click this link Bronx Holiday Markets & Bronx Holiday Events NYC.

Holiday Things To Do on Staten Island

All Weekend there's a Winter Wonderland at Snug Harbor. And the Staten Island Mall is hosting photo sessions with Santa. Details to all of these and other holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday events.

On Saturday there's a holiday market at Snug Harbor in Randall Manor. A holiday market at Immanuel Union Church in Westerleigh. Details to all of these and other holiday markets may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday markets.

There's also a Yule Jog at the Conference House in Tottenville and the Conference House Holiday Tours have begun. Details to all of these and other holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday events.

On Saturday & Sunday Empire Outlet tree lighting and holiday market in St. George. Details to all of these and other holiday markets may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday markets.

On Sunday, the Grand Illumination and outdoor holiday market at the Conference House in Tottenville. Details to all of these and other holiday markets may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday markets.

On Sunday the Old Bermuda Inn begins its first round of holiday brunches with Santa.

Next Monday and Tuesday the Historic Old Bermuda Inn with John Vincent Scalia Funeral Home hosts their annual Memorial Tree Lighting. Next Tuesday, 12/6/22 Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella will host a tree lighting at Borough Hall in St. George. Next Wednesday 12/7/22 there's a holiday celebration in Midland Beach organized by the Richmond Road Merchants Association. Details to all of these and other holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday events.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Staten Island, click these links - Staten Island holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Staten Island Holiday Markets NYC.

Enjoy.

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Holidays are About to go Full Tilt in NYC, Warming up a bit this Weekend, Before going Full Tilt Next Week

November 25, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 50's all weekend, while the temperature lows will rise from around 40 on Friday and Saturday, to 50 on Sunday. The humidity drops from 60% - 70% on Friday, to 50% - 60% on Saturday, and then rises again to 70% - 80% on Sunday. The winds will be around 15 mph Friday, falling to 10 mph on Saturday and Sunday. There's a slight chance of a slight amount of rain before noon Friday, none on Saturday and then about a half to two thirds inch of rain on Sunday between 11 am and 9 pm.

The photo at right was taken at a Thanksgiving dinner I attended yesterday. I ate so much of the dinner, that I didn't dare have any dessert for fear of exploding ... a similar memory of which, I also have as a child.

Holiday Markets in all 5 Boroughs of NYC

We've previously completed a solid first pass of the holiday markets planned this November, and we'll soon be updating for those coming in December. Use the following links to view: 1) Bronx Holiday Markets NYC, 2) Brooklyn Holiday Markets NYC, 3) Manhattan Holiday Markets NYC, 4) Queens Holiday Markets NYC, and 5) Staten Island Holiday Markets NYC.

Holiday Events NYC: Tree, Menorah & Candle Lightings for Christmas, Hanukkah & Kwanzaa

We're also currently working on the events planned for this holiday season and we should have a solid first pass done sometime this weekend. Use the following links to view: 1) Bronx holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC, 2) Brooklyn holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC, 3) Manhattan holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC, 4) Queens holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC, and 5) Staten Island holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC.

Enjoy.

Thanksgiving - America's Communal Holiday

The Pilgrims Legacy: Love, Sharing & Community Empowerment

November 22, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / Thanksgiving Holidays in NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.

A couple of years ago, I happened upon a childhood book of fables and fairytales that I had saved since I was a first grader. I was young enough to still like fairytales and old enough to be learning and loving to read.

The book, A Gateway to Storyland, by Platt & Munk Co, was given to me around the holidays, and the book still gives me a warm, loved feeling when I periodically open it to browse through the fairytales and fables containing little nuggets of age old wisdom about how to conduct onesself [see photo at right / the book is still in print]. I read it numerous times immediately upon receiving it, as the illustrations fed my imagination, and lessons embedded in the words resonated with timeless sagacity.

Unselfish Parental Love Manifested by Empowering Progeny

Love comes in many forms, but the purest form is unselfish love. The love of truly giving something with no thought of anything in return. That love is oftentimes given intergenerationally - from grandparents to parents to children.

Perhaps the greatest gifts are those that cost us nothing but our time. Like the gift of teaching someone something that they will be able to put to good use throughout their lives. Parents do this all the time, when they help their children develop skills, and impart some knowledge and learning ... just as my parents did many years ago, by giving me a well illustrated fairytale book to encourage my interest in reading, while sharing the time tested insights of the ages, handed down through storytelling.

I. A Brief Thanksgiving History

The Pilgrims Shared Communal Resources to Actualize a Dream

At Thanksgiving time we commemorate one of America's first settlements, founded by the risk-taking, resource-pooling, hardworking, spiritual community of Pilgrims.

The Pilgrims were early English settlers who arrived on American shores in the early 17th century [1600's]. They came here because they wanted a measure of freedom and self-determination that they were forbidden in Europe or what was called the 'old country'. The Pilgrims wanted to practice their faith, unencumbered, in a way that differed from the established Church of England. They pooled their money to obtain a ship, the Mayflower, to cross the Atlantic in mid September of 1620, landing on America's shores at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on November 9, 1620. Think of it. It took about a month and a half to travel a distance we can now traverse in about five hours.

The Pilgrims Receive Help from the Native People of a Strange Land

Per Wikipedia, the Piligrims survived a hard winter in 1621 with the help of the Wampanoag, an American Indian tribe. The Pilgrims were the immigrants, and the first Americans, the Indian natives, welcomed them. The Wampanaog taught the Pilgrims how to catch eels, and how to grow and harvest corn. Thus the Pilgrims ended 1621 with a good harvest which they celebrated and shared with their new friends, expressing their gratitude to a higher power, aka God, for the success of their endeavors.

Thus it was that the first Thanksgiving celebration happened in America ... or did it?

• CLICK here for the rest of the story about Thanksgiving Day sentiments in NYC.

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Holidays have Arrived in NYC

November 18, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperatures will be in the mid to low 40's during the day and the mid to low 30's at night. Humidity will be fairly low ranging from 35% to 50%. No rain is in the forecast. The winds will range from 10 - 16 mph, so fairly windy.

As hard as it is to believe, the holidays have arrived. Last weekend the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree arrived. It's an 80 foot spruce which will be lit on Wednesday evening November 30th.

Following the lighting at Rockefeller Center, there's a new street program entitled Fifth Avenue for All. It starts Sunday, December 4th, continuing Sunday, December 11th and ending Sunday, December 18th whereby 5th Avenue will be closed to automobile traffic from 49th to 57th Street, from 12 noon - 6 pm. There will be food vendors, musicians, pedestrians and others, who will take over the street.

And of course the holiday events and holiday shopping seasons have begun as well. We're working on holiday markets as we speak, and we expect to continue updating through the weekend. But you can use the links below in the Holiday Markets report filed earlier this week, to see how far we've gotten in posting the holiday markets which have begun opening.

Manhattan

Holiday shops at Bryant Park and Grand Central Station open. Ice rinks at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center are open. The Rockefeller Christmas tree is up, but not lit.

Shortly after this photo was taken late last week - the rains came, the tree leaves fell, and the trees are now generally bereft of any foliage.

Use the Manhattan Holiday Market link below to obtain further details of numerous holiday markets / holiday fairs / holiday events coming to Manhattan between now and the new year including the ones noted above.

Queens

In the photo top right is an entrepreneur who is managing a popup market just outside the Alcove at 49th Street and Skillman Avenue in Sunnyside Queens. They're open this Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to about 8.30 / 9 pm each day.

The Amaze Lights Festival began November 11th at CitiField in Flushing and runs through January 8th, 2023.

The Winter Lantern Festival began at the Queens County Farm at 7350 Little Neck Parkway.

Use the Queens Holiday Market link below to obtain further details of numerous holiday markets / holiday fairs / holiday events coming to Queens between now and the new year including the ones noted above.

Brooklyn

There's a holiday lighting ceremony on Friday, November 18th from 5 - 6 pm in Albee Square at Fulton and DeKalb Streets in Downtown Brooklyn.

Holiday markets have begun in Williamsburg and at Fort Greene Park.

Use the Brooklyn Holiday Market link below to obtain further details of numerous holiday markets / holiday fairs / holiday events coming to Brooklyn between now and the new year including the ones noted above.

Bronx

Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and NY Botanical Garden Glow and Holiday Train.

The photo at right shows some of the artisanal crafts, accessories and objets de art for sale at the TRADiction popup market in front of the Alcove restaurant in Sunnyside Queens.

Use the Bronx Holiday Market link below to obtain further details of numerous holiday markets / holiday fairs / holiday events coming to the Bronx between now and the new year including the ones noted above.

Staten Island

On Saturday, November 19, 2022 from 10 am - 4 pm there's the Great Kills Moravian Church Annual Holiday Sale in the parking lot of the Great Kills Moravian Church at 62 Hillside Terrace in Great Kills neighborhood on Staten Island. The holiday sale features handmade gifts & decorations, baked goods, a Christmas cafe, and a mitten tree. Find gifts, stocking stuffers, and decorations. Donations of hats, mittens and gloves will be donated to those in need.

Use the Staten Island Holiday Market link below to obtain further details of almost a half dozen holiday markets / holiday fairs this weekend on Staten Island including the one noted above.

I have a bit more to do on Manhattan as of Saturday evening around 9.30 pm. It should be done tonight.

Have a nice pre-Thanksgiving Day weekend.

The Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Cuomo

The Sheer Number of Allegations Appears to Indicate Something is Not Right

But This Report is Not About Judging Cuomo, Either Way, but Urging People to Let Due Process Play Out

March 15, 2021 / US Politics / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. Part II.

I'm going to explore each accuser's allegations while providing a bit of background on each of them. I have found some of Cuomo's accusers more credible than others, in what I would call the integrity of the whole situation. That said, the sheer number of allegations certainly lends credence to the notion that something is not right in how Cuomo is managing his staff at the Capitol and in the Governor's mansion.

One's attractiveness to the opposite sex, can cut both ways. It can be used: 1) as a powerful tool to obtain special favors, wage increases and promotions one didn't earn, or 2) it can attract unwanted advances that feel threatening to one's person and livelihood. In the former case (#1), one's co-workers or competitors are often the victims by being passed over for promotions, travel and other opportunities. In the latter case (#2), one is a victim / target of unwanted sexual advances by virtue of their god given beauty.

While in Business School, one of my very best friends - who coincidentally was named Murdoch [but no relation to Rupert] - told me that his father had told him that

"... it was more important to be respected, than liked ..."

We both had to seriously contemplate this advice, as this friend was immensely popular. He had asked me to help him unravel what seemed his father's riddle. Ultimately In due time I concluded that my friend's father was right - it is more important to be respected than liked.

I think that is also good advice for women in the workforce, and provides a compass for how one should conduct oneself. Not every man out there is a gentleman, and oftentimes successful men are also the badly behaved men, some can even be assholes like - let's say - Donald Trump. And as we've seen over the past four year presidency, both the men and women who reported into him were certainly psychologically abused. And I won't even begin to contemplate Melania's situation.

So with that in mind, let's take a brief look at each of Cuomo's accusers and their allegations regarding the Governor.

I. Lindsey Boylan (36) - Deputy Secretary for Economic Development & Special Advisor to the Governor

Lindsay Boylan was the first woman to come forward and charge Andrew Cuomo with sexual harrassment in a tweet in December of 2020. She worked for Cuomo from 2015 - 2018 as the Governor's Deputy Secretary and Advisor, during which time she alleges she was continually harassed. Boylan is now running for Manhattan Borough President.

In the accounts of Boylan's claims I've seen published she indicated Cuomo would touch or brush against her arm or leg, compare her to an ex-girlfriend, make unwanted sexually charged statements or inquiries, and on one occasion kissed her on the lips without her permission following the award of a promotion.

Boylan first went public with her claims in December 2020, telling the world that she was speaking out now, because she felt that the public should know this, as Andrew Cuomo was up for consideration for the position of the U.S. Attorney General. This seemed reminiscent of Christine Blasey Ford stepping forth in 2018 with allegations of attempted rape by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. But attempted rape is a far more serious allegation than harassment / inappropriate workplace behavior.

At the time Boylan said she didn't want to speak to any journalists about the explosive claims. This set off my spidey sense, because it seems unfair to think that you can make such explosive, career busting allegations without expecting reporters to want to dig deeper for the full context of the story.

Cuomo denied the allegations.

Last year [2020] Boylan was beaten in the Democratic congressional primary. It would seem to be a fair question to ask whether she is angry / blames Cuomo for her loss, believing that perhaps he did not help her enough? One might also ponder whether she is she using the explosive claims of sexual harassment against Cuomo to gain publicity for her current campaign for Manhattan Borough President, while simultaniously by capitalizing on / reaching out to the #MeToo movement?

In what appeared Cuomo pushback, some of Boylan's personnel files were disclosed to the press, indicating there may have been some issues surrounding to her departure from the Cuomo Administration, regarding her management of employees working for her. Boylan says this is part of a Cuomo intimidation / smear campaign.

Boylan said she was harrassed most or many of the nearly four years she worked for Cuomo [2015 - 2018]. Like many women, she hesitated and waited until [two] years after her departure before going public.

The #MeToo movement advocates that all women's sexual harassment claims should be believed, as for centuries women's sexual harrassment claims have been discredited and ignored.

Yet not long after she went public, she threatened to start a women's PAC to torch Schumer and other New York politicians who did not come out to support her in her allegations sooner. The gap in her announcement and in Schumer and other politicians' speaking out in her favor, was about two and a half months [late Dec 2020 to early Mar 2021]. Boylan also published a threatening tweet castigating both President Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris for withholding judgment as well, before she deleted it.

Boylan's vehement 'PAC fundraising' response, caused me to stop to ponder the full nature of Boylan's nearly four relationship with Cuomo, which seems to have greatly benefitted her with promotions and travel, until it did not. I was also reminded of how Donald Trump and Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz opportunistically used 'Stop the Steal' to fundraise PAC money for themselves off of an emotional, voter 'patriotism' hot button issue.

As with Janice Dean's allegations / crusade / soft gubernatiorial campaign launch, where Shakespeare's quote in Hamlet "The lady doth protest too much me thinks" seemed to resonate, as I again found myself asking if this quote also has some relevance to Boylan's case. See prior report for full explanation regarding Janice Dean.

Boylan's allegations would be given due consideration in an investigation. And we may learn much more about hers and Cuomo's relationship ... and it's possible that it could be highly toxic to both of them.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about the multiple sexual harassment allegations against Governor Cuomo including by Lindsey Boylan, candidate for Manhattan Borough President.

How the President, a Former NYC Mayor and Murdoch's Fox News Seemed to Incite the Capitol Insurrectionists

Rudy Giuliani, Nicknamed America's Mayor by Murdoch's Fox News, Appears to have Helped Incite the Band of Simpleminded Trumpsters to Insurrection

Updated January 11, 2021 from 1.8.21 / US Politics / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. 

Rising Film Star [Barat2] and Former NYC Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, appears to have devolved into something of a national freak show or farce over the past five years. Perhaps longer. But in the past few months, he's become something of a national disgrace.

Fox News seems to use nicknames for their propaganda assets, like referring to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as the 'Iron Lady' and President Ronald Reagan as the 'Gipper'. Rudy Giuliani seems to be yet another Fox propaganda asset and, as such, is oftentimes referred to as America's Mayor by Fox pundits.

This is not unlike how Murdoch's Fox News nicknames themselves America's Newsroom. This was a trick used by Hitler and Goebbels, using words and images to create the illusion that they, the Nazi Party [in this cae the Fox Nation with red, white and blue colors] was the same as the state - and thus represented all that was right and just. But remember - just because Murdoch's Fox News says it's so - doesn't make it so [like they used to call themselves 'Fair & Balanced' before they started fearing a lawsuit for false advertising]. But, the Australian born billionaire's overwhelming control and / or ownership of America's television media [see our special section on Murdoch and the 21st Propaganda Press on Gotham Buzz] does give him a leg up in attaching and making both good and bad labels stick to people, places and things.

On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, Rudy Giuliani joined Donald Trump and Donny junior at a Trump rally in Washington, D.C. near the White House. The Donald had promoted this gathering as something 'wild' and related to his seemingly phony stop the steal / election fraud fundraising claims. At the rally Trump told his supporters, numbering about 5,000 [per the park permit] to march down to the Capitol and that he'd be there with them.

I think it's safe to say that the Trump supporters who came to this event came prepared to continue to be misinformed and misled by the con men standing on the stage in front of them. After the speeches the audience mindlessly did as Trump had instructed them, and began marching toward the Capitol - but without their fearful leader [bonespurs acting up again?]. The Trumps and Giuliani were not to be found when the group arrived at the Capitol. What a surprise!

When the Trumpsters reached the barricades in front of the Capitol, the police in charge of protecting it, seemed to give way. What exactly transpired at this juncture we'll find out eventually, but one thing we do know for certain is that Trump didn't deploy as many of the National Guardsmen as he did for his tear gassing photo op with the Bible last summer. So Vice President Mike Pence had to step in to call up more National Guardsmen who eventually secured the Capitol - but not until after it had been ransacked [including one report of defecation].

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on How the President, a Former NYC Mayor and Murdoch's Fox News Seemed to Incite the Capitol Insurrectionists.